The Portland Building will be saved from the wrecking ball and undergo renovation, Michael Graves, the architect behind the postmodern masterpiece, told A/N blog. “It’s going to be saved,” Graves said to AN. “They told me… They said they are saving the building and not only that but we want you to sit on a committee for the redesign. I would imagine in the next year we’ll do something.”
Opened in 1982, the Portland Building is considered one of the US’ earliest and most important examples of postmodernism. However, the Portland Building now faces problems such as leaks and its potential ability to survive an earthquake, and some estimate its renovation will require close to $95 million. Given the heavy price tag and the fact that many Portland residents seem to “really, really hate” the building, its potential demolition had been under discussion.
Graves had defended the building at a public conversation in mid-October, saying: “The whole idea of tearing the building down, it’s like killing a child… I don’t know how to react to that.”
Read the original article on A/N blog for more information and check out some of our past coverage on the Portland Building, below.
AD Classics: The Portland Building / Michael Graves
The Portland Problem: $95 Million for a Hated Building?
Michael Graves Defends the Portland Building from Demolition Threats
